Chapter 7: A Cruel Gospel



Memorable Passage:

"He's not normal. He's in his own world. He cannot make friends. he cannot play with others. he doesn't help, of course, that he looks so different with his green eyes and dark skin and that hair. He may never fit in. I think something is wrong with his brain" (pg 136) Georg's mother, Frau Grimmel

"Even if a train did stop on the nearest siding, the hissing and grinding of the brakes masked any snorting, sighing or bellowing from the cattle or calves. Any frantic squealing from the hogs. Any bleating from the wide-eyed sheep. Passengers arriving by day on a train that stopped at a platform alongside these tracks ordinarily turned quickly away from this noise, thinking it was an eerie echo of the train's own sound. Just signs of the times, they thought. Train stations and slaughterhouses. Steel and flesh. But at night, sounds and smells were more fearful. Within shadows, nothing could be trusted." (pg. 145)



Summary:
The Chapter opens with a letter from Johann to Helga. He explains that everything she had ever warned him about concerning the Nazis was true. How he should have seen through them like Phillipp had done.

People with photographs of loved ones, asking if anyone had seen them, surround Johann. Johann wonders, "Was the whole world lost?”

Phillipp takes care of a "not fully German" boy who claims to be a butterfly. The boys mother claims he has a mental illness. Hoche tells him to send the boy away. To become a, "walking shadow." Hoche says he will grow up to be a criminal and a "useless eater". Phillipp calls Hoche, "dispassionate". Louise did not support Phillipp's feelings toward the boy. He felt like she had let him down.

Phillipp tells Louise that they need to stop their "relationship" and be more professional. This wasn't really what Phillipp wanted and he became very sad after making this decision. However, he still felt betrayed and angry towards her because of the little boy.

In the marketplace, Phillipp sees carvings in red sandstone. He explains to a woman that he thinks the shapes represent standards for the marketplace. He climbs up the church with this girl, Christine Naumann, and her beauty mesmerizes him. They wrote letters to one another for the next few weeks. He wrote her and told her that he had decided to leave Freiberg. She tells him to come to Augsburg. Phillipp decides to do so and he gets a job at one of the policlinics.

The last two pages are about trains stations, slaughterhouses, and blood. Phillipp imagines those things.

Characters:

Georg Grimmel (pg. 134)- child who's at doctors, (dark skin, dark hair, green eyes) no friends, loud and sings but tiny.

Frau Grimmel (pg.135) - Mother who believes there's something wrong with her son Georg. Wants to send him to mental institute or anywhere to get him off her hands

Christine Naumnnn (pg. 143)- 18-19 years old light brown hair, blue eyes, curly hair, modern woman me phillip on school trip. She's honest and open. From Oashabruck now lives in Augsburg.

Key Concepts and Events:


Influenza Plague (pg. 135)- Occurred after WW1 and killed between 20 million to 40 million people,
that greatly devastated many nations and severely impacted Germany's already depleted state. Click to learn more

"Rhineland Bastards" (pg. 135)- Children that were of Afro-german decent that resulted from French-African soldiers that intermingled with the Germany public. There was a baby boom of these children after the first war. Click to learn more

Cloister (pg. 136)- A church from the Medieval era Click to learn more

Emmendingen (pg. 137)- A mental institution where "societies degenerates" were sent, in order to better the society in whole. Click to learn more

Praktikum (pg. 141)- A placement or practice for work. Click to learn more


Vocabulary:


Adjourned (pg 133)- to suspend indefinitely or until a later stated time


Dalliance(pg 137)- brief or casual involvement with something


Resolute (pg 138)- admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.


Paternal (pg 139)- showing a kindness and care associated with a father; fatherly.


Armictice (pg 139)- an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.


Wares (pg 141)- beware (used as a warning cry, typically in a hunting context).


Forlorn (pg 141)- unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled; hopeless


Disarmed (pg 143)- take a weapon or weapons away from (a person, force, or country).


Omnious (pg 145)- giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen


Derelicts (pg 145)- a person without a home, job, or property.


Volksbank (pg 133)- people's bank of Germany.